Our practice policy

To support your mental health and wellbeing journey with Oqea Cares, we ask you to carefully read the following statements to understand how we handle your personal information and how we operate as a private practice.

You will be asked to sign this policy to indicate your consent. If you have any questions, please contact our friendly reception team on (08) 6559 6900 (9am-4pm AWST Monday-Thursday) or by email at hello@oqeacares.au.

Purpose and Nature of Services:

I, the undersigned, ‘client’/ ‘patient’, understand that I am seeking psychology, allied health, psychiatry, and/or mental health general practitioner services from Oqea Cares (our “Services”). I have been informed about the nature of these services, including their benefits and risks.

Consent Components:

1. Competence: I acknowledge that I have the capacity to provide valid consent.
2. Voluntariness: I am providing consent freely and without coercion.
3. Specificity: The scope of what I agree to is clear.
4. Understanding: The information provided has been communicated in language that I comprehend.
5. Documentation: I understand that written consent provides added legal protection for both the mental health practitioner and me.

Privacy and Confidentiality:

1. Oqea Cares will collect relevant information necessary for the Services provided. This includes personal and sensitive Information. I understand that my information will be handled in accordance with Oqea Cares Privacy Policy and the Australian Privacy Principles. The Oqea Cares Privacy Policy can be viewed here https://oqeacares.au/privacy/.
2. Oqea Cares will maintain confidentiality, except in the following cases:
   • Where the purpose of the service is to provide a written report to a specific person (e.g., an ADHD assessment report to the treating psychiatrist or parts of a medico-legal report to the treating psychologist).
   • Where there is a legal obligation to disclose information (e.g., risk of harm to self or others, or for mandatory reporting).
   • Where an invoice for our Services is more than 12 months outstanding (from the service date), a debt collection agency may be engaged.

Practice Information:

1. Code of Conduct: Oqea Cares strives to provide a safe and respectful environment for both patients and staff. Oqea Cares reserves the right to discharge any patient if they display abusive, disrespectful, or aggressive behaviour.
2. Payment of Accounts: As a private practice, Oqea Cares requires payment of accounts on the day the service was provided. For convenience, from July 2025 we have transitioned to automated payments, please see more information in the next statement. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with a senior member of the reception team, or your practitioner. Oqea Cares reserves the right to discharge any patient if they do not settle accounts within a reasonable timeframe.
3. Automated Payment: For your convenience and to simplify your experience, from July 2025 we have transitioned to automatic payments. Oqea Cares will collect and validate your card details in advance so that we can process payment and the Medicare rebate (if applicable) automatically once the service has been delivered. Your payment information is securely processed and stored by Stripe, a PCI-compliant payment processor.

   I understand providing payment details is required before my appointment.
   I authorise Oqea Cares to securely store my payment card for future invoices.

   I understand my card will be charged:

• Shortly after each service has been provided, including telehealth appointments
•  For cancellation fees if an appointment is missed or cancelled late, as per Oqea Cares practice policy
• For any invoices that are currently outstanding with Oqea Cares, including invoices prior to July 2025 (before automated payments were in place)

  I can update my card details at any time by contacting  hello@oqeacares.au.

  I understand I need to provide my payment details even if a third party usually covers my accounts (i.e. DVA, ICWA). This is due to occasions of service that the third party does not cover, for example, for cancellation fees, or if I do not have a valid referral. If a third party normally covers my accounts, my card will not be charged for attended appointments with a valid referral.

4. Late Appointment Cancellations/ Non-Attendance: We understand that life can be unpredictable, and people may need to reschedule their appointments. Due to the limited number of appointments available, cancellations with less than 48 hours’ notice or non-attendance will incur the following fees:

• Therapy sessions: Full fee.
• Assessment sessions: 50% of total fee for ADHD assessments or DVA Medico-Legal Assessments.
• Psychiatry & MHGP sessions: Typically half fee, up to the discretion of the individual practitioner.
• Please note, late cancellation/ non-attendance fees are not refundable by Medicare, DVA or Private Health Insurance funds.

5. Courtesy Reminders: Oqea Cares will endeavour to send SMS appointment reminders and give verbal referral reminders. These are courtesy reminders only. Should these reminders not be delivered, it remains the responsibility of the client/ patient to keep track of appointments and referral status. We strongly encourage personal reminders being set to avoid disappointment.
6. Crisis Support: Oqea Cares provides support during typical business hours (Monday to Friday). Oqea Cares and all Oqea Cares practitioners do not provide an emergency service. If you require immediate intervention, please seek assistance from emergency services or a crisis hotline.

7. Family Court Orders: It is a requirement for any child accessing Services to inform the practice of whether there are any Family Court Orders in place involving the child. These orders can impact the provision of Services and it is important for us to be aware of any legal requirements or restrictions. If applicable, please provide a copy of the most recent orders. 

8. Emergency Contacts: It is a requirement of engaging Services at Oqea Cares that an emergency contact is provided. Please provide this information (person’s name, relationship, contact information) to Oqea Cares reception.